From the Authors:The "Big Mo!"

Holiday Feature: Holidays At "The World" 

Disney World Feature:  Memories & Milestones

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Tuck In A Towel, Warm Weather Woolens?, Stroller Struggles

Captain's Corner: Old Shrimp Boat

Q&A: What is a "soft" opening?
 

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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here's a few of the new developments at Disney·

Advanced Dining Reservations can now be made 180 days in advance by calling Disney Dining at 407-WDW-DINE! What's more, guests of a Walt Disney World Resort can book reservations for their entire stay beginning 180 days from their arrival date. This policy also applies to child care centers such as Simba's playhouse.

Length-of-stay stroller rentals will no longer be available beginning December 23, 2005 due to problems guaranteeing availability. 

Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table will change considerably beginning February 1, 2006! Taking a page from Chef Mickey's cookbook, guests will now be greeted by Cinderella or the Fairy Godmother in the lobby for a group photo opportunity. The princesses will continue to greet guests in the dining room during breakfast and lunch, which will now be a fixed price, set menu. Dinner, hosted by the Fairy Godmother, will also become a "prix fixe" meal with choices from a new, more limited, menu. Prices have increased but now include photo packages for each family. For details, check out http://allearsnet.com

>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com

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Disney Tips:
From Fellow Readers

Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

TUCK IN A TOWEL
"We packed a thin lightweight bath towel in our backpack while touring and it came in very handy. We used it to wrap up our 4-year old who was cold on early entry mornings. We also used it to sit on the hot sidewalk to watch the afternoon parades and it came in very handy when our son wanted to put on his bathing suit and get soaking wet at Epcot. It wasn't heavy and didn't take up too much space, we were really glad to have it."
-- contributed by Jennifer Brinkley (tbrinkley@...)

WARM WEATHER WOOLENS?
"We frequently visit Disney in the winter months, traveling from the frozen north. I'd strongly recommend that you do not leave winter coats, gloves and mittens at home despite the urge to save on packing room. Several times we've used our winter gear in the evening at late night fireworks or shows. While it can be warm during the day, the nights have been known to dip down into the 30s."
-- contributed by Brighid Wood 

STROLLER STRUGGLES
"When renting strollers for more than one child, opt for two singles rather than one double stroller. Singles are much easier to maneuver through crowds, especially when loaded with older children, and are easier to park outside of attractions."
-- contributed by Karen F. 

>Notes: Send us your tips ! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter!

Want more Disney tips? We've collected 500 of the tips submitted by readers over the past six years -- most have never been published before. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. The "Disney 500" are available in e-book form for immediate download. For details, visit the PassPorter Store.

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Captain's Corner:
Treasure Hunting Game

Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game, hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our upcoming book, "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World." 

The Captain makes a study of the delightful details -- sometimes hidden, sometimes in plain sight but often overlooked -- at Walt Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Using notes from his journals, he will lead you to this "treasure" at Disney with clues, questions, photos, or riddles. Your challenge is to discover the answer by searching your memory, visiting Disney, or even just looking really hard on the Internet. If you think you've found the answer, e-mail it to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the first person to correctly submit the FULL answer will receive a free PassPorter enamel pin or PassPorter name badge pin.

Here is this week's treasure from Captain Skatt's Journal:

It's been a long month of treasure hunting so today I journeyed to a lagoon that had been hit by a typhoon years ago. Everything was in disarray, but the water was blissfully buoyant. I discovered an old shrimp boat impaled on the top of Mt. Mayday. Still visible in fading paint was her name . . . (rest of text obscured by a huge drop of water)

So what is the name of the old shrimp boat?

 Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next newsletter, along with the correct answer!

Congratulations to Cody Ayre who was the winner of last week's treasure hunt game last week! Cody correctly stated that Old Brachy is located in Dinoland U.S.A. The skeleton forms a bridge ("Oldengate Bridge") between the kids' play area and the fossil dig site.  To see the original clues, see the last newsletter.

If you enjoy treasure hunts, we've got an entire book with over 100 distinct treasure hunts and over 1500 questions, complete with clues and contributions from Captain Skatt. We expect to release the book -- "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" -- in early 2006. Watch this space or http://www.passporter.com for more information!

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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

wazzo asks: "I've been reading a lot about Expedition Everest's soft opening possibly in early 2006. We'll be there in February, so I'm interested! BUT, what exactly IS a SOFT opening? Do they randomly select people? How do I get in?"

Jennifer and Dave answer: "A 'soft opening' is the shakedown cruise for a new attraction. The attraction will open to guests so the ride can be tested and ride staff can gain experience with the new attraction. While a 'preview' may be limited to certain people (like cast or Annual Passholders), anybody can enjoy a Soft Opening -- just present yourself at the attraction entrance. If the attraction is open (it can open or close at any time), in you go! Keep you eyes on the Tip Board, which is at the far end of Main Street (or its equivalent), soon after you enter the park. Soft openings/previews will usually be listed there, with the time of operation.

While traditionally 'soft opening' has been a trial period, Disney sometimes has very extended Soft Opening periods even after all the kinks have been worked out. The 'official' opening of an attraction always involves some sort of media event and ceremony (sometimes small, sometimes huge), so occasionally a ride has been fully operational for a month or more before Disney finally gets around to a convenient time to officially cut the ribbon. (In the case of Mission:SPACE the ride was fully operational in mid-August, but the official opening was deferred until October.) "

Have a question? Post it at http://www.passporterboards.com -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!

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Future Newsletters:
Want To See Your Name in Print?

We're on the lookout for guest columnists to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience necessary, just a  desire to share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in "print" and receive a $25 gift certificate. 

For details and our article submission guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!

Holidays At "The World"
By Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide

PassPorter board message guide Cheryl Pendry has enjoyed a lot of happy holiday memories at Disney, having spent Christmas there in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Here she shares some of the reasons why she keeps heading back for the festive season year after year… 

Christmas is coming and, in Disney terms, that means the biggest celebration of the year, with millions of lights, special parties and a set of holidays from around the world. 

All these additional events are what keep us going back to Disney year after year. In fact, our MouseFest trip in late November will see us return for a fourth year of Disney Christmas celebrations in the last seven years. But what is it that’s so magical about the World at this time of the year? 

Every park and resort has something extra to offer at this time of the year, although it wasn’t always that way. For many years, Animal Kingdom had been very much left out of the Christmas celebrations. But a couple of years ago, the daily parade was changed for the holiday season to become Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade, incorporating holiday elements. The idea stuck and this year, the Christmas version is set to run again. 

Moving over to Disney-MGM Studios, this is home to one of our favorite Christmas events, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, which runs from November 23 through January 8. This really is a spectacle and one that has to be seen to be believed. In every town and city, we’ve all seen the houses decked out with hundreds – and sometimes thousands - of lights and decorations. Sometimes it even extends to entire streets. Usually it’s started off by one person and the Osborne lights are no different. 

Jennings Osborne wanted to put some lights up for his daughter for Christmas and he just added to the display every year, taking over the two houses either side of his. Where this story differs from many others is that his neighbors weren’t impressed with the crowds that his annual light show was drawing and took legal action to get it stopped. As with all things related to Disney, there is a happy ending, with the Walt Disney company stepping in and offering the Osborne lights a new home at the MGM Studios. 

Since their debut in the mid 1990’s, the tradition has continued, with more added each year. Last year saw the debut of the lights in the Streets of America Backlot, moving from their previous position, which saw them start at the beginning of New York Street and spread out over Residential Street (gone to make way for the Extreme Stunt Show). The new design is a lot more compact and, from what we saw last year, that makes the display more eye catching and breath taking than ever. However, I’m the first to admit that it was almost overwhelming at times as well and very difficult to take in all the details. In the past, the little details were easier to spot, as the lights were more spread out. 

Whatever you do, don’t miss the Osborne lights – they may well give you some ideas and inspiration for how to decorate your house next year. Just don’t go upsetting the neighbors with your plans! 

Perhaps the biggest holiday celebration is reserved for Epcot, which brings in elements of holidays from around the world. Their events run from November 25 to December 30 this year, with holiday elements everywhere in the World Showcase. Storytellers can be found in each of the countries, explaining how the holidays are celebrated in their homeland. It’s a fascinating way to educate yourself about the different cultures of the world, but as with everything else Disney, the education has a great element of fun to it as well. 

And there’s fun every night at 6:00 with the traditional tree-lighting ceremony at the entrance to World Showcase. You’re guaranteed characters and a fun little show as they prepare to light up the tree. The tree isn’t the only thing in this area that’s lit up at night. The “Lights of Winter”, an archway across the World Showcase Plaza, also dazzles every evening and makes for some superb night-time photo opportunities. 

But our favorite part of the Holidays Around the World celebration – and the most breathtaking – is the Candlelight Processional. Held nightly, usually three times a night, between November 25 and December 30 at the America Gardens Theater, this is a beautiful re-telling of the Christmas story, weaving in a number of traditional and more modern Christmas carols during the story. The whole thing is brought together by a guest narrator, with the list this year including names such as Rita Moreno, Haley Joel Osment, Cicely Tyson, Eartha Kitt, Harry Hamlin, Marlee Matlin and Steven Curtis Chapman. 

The narrator is complemented by an orchestra and a live choir made up of Disney Cast Members, high school choirs and the Voices of Liberty. The result is a show that brings home the story of Christmas in a beautiful and compelling way. Although the Candlelight Processional is free to all Epcot visitors, it’s also exceptionally popular, meaning that lines quickly form for each show and not everyone is guaranteed to get a seat. 

One way to ensure that you don’t have too long a wait and you do get to see the show is by purchasing a Candlelight Processional dining package, which includes preferred seating. In practice, this means that your line will be the first to be let into the theater and you can usually secure some of the best seats in the house, but be warned – even with the package, you will still have to wait in line to get into the theater. 

The package isn’t cheap, but if you were planning on an evening meal at one of Epcot’s table service restaurants, it allows you to pay for your meal in advance, which includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages and gratuities. Prices start at $30.99 for adults  for the Garden Grill and Biergarten, with the San Angel Inn in Mexico, Restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco, China’s Nine Dragons Restaurant and the UK’s Rose and Crown Restaurant priced at $38.99. The most expensive restaurants – Chefs de France, L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante in Italy, Canada’s Le Cellier, Teppanyaki in Japan and the Coral Reef at the Living Seas will set you back $45.99 each. Prices for children (aged between 3 – 9) at all restaurants are $12.99.

Having seen the Candlelight Processional a number of times and seen other people heading for shows at different times, we prefer to aim for the first show of the night. During it, darkness falls, adding even more magic to the performance. We’ve also learned that if we hurry out of that first performance and walk briskly, we can usually be at the World Showcase Plaza for the nightly tree lighting ceremony, allowing us to enjoy two festive celebrations in short succession. 

If you’re taking advantage of the dining package and you have a choice, my advice would always be to go for the show first and then dinner afterwards. We’ve seen a fair few people having to race through their meals to ensure that they get to the theater in time for the show and Epcot’s restaurants are just too good to be rushed! 

Building on last year’s special Christmas version of IllumiNations, Epcot’s night-time spectacular, a similar treat is planned again for this year with a special holiday finale based around “Let There Be Peace on Earth”. Having experienced this finale a number of times last year, both in the parks and in our room overlooking Epcot at the Beach Club Villas, I can tell you that there’s nothing peaceful about this finale! Featuring earth shaking explosions and fireworks, if you thought "regular" IllumiNations was impressive, you haven’t seen anything yet. It’s a perfect way to round off a Christmas evening at Epcot.

This is only a part of the festive fun that Disney offers at Christmas. In the next edition, we’ll be taking a look at what’s on offer at the Magic Kingdom and the Disney resorts.

For schedules of events taking place during the 2005 holiday season, check out http://www.disneyworld.com

For photos and schedules of previous years’ celebrations, check out http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/holiday.htm

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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your travel plans.

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Memories & Milestones
by Becki Kostrach, Guest Contributor

So you took your family to Disney World last year and you’re wondering how to top that trip this year. My family and I would be the first to tell you to go right on back to Disney World. We have traveled to Orlando at least once a year since our son was a toddler. He is now a strapping 17-year old with more memories than he can count. Some people trek to the beach each summer, renting a cottage and collecting shells. We spend our spring breaks riding the latest rides and staying in whatever new resort Disney has dreamed up. Although our map shows our destination is the same each year, our experiences once there are always unique.

When our children were younger, they would bounce out of bed at 6:00 am., eager to see Mickey Mouse. During those years, we spent a lot of time in the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, returning to the resort mid-day for a nap or swim. We always booked an early dinner and tucked ourselves into bed by 9:00 pm. As our children got older, we found ourselves not arriving at the gates until 10:00 am. or sometimes even later. The biggest milestone of all was when our youngest child was no longer in a stroller. We now exit rides without looking through the sea of strollers for our own, and we seem to travel much lighter and cover more territory than before. I sometimes miss those mid-day naps, but the nighttime fireworks and parades certainly make up for it. When friends ask me what is the best age to take a child to Disney, I always say “every age.” The age of your children will define your experience, but each experience is worth the trip. 

We have photos of our children when they were knee-high to the giant ant in the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” playground at Disney-MGM Studios and photos of them standing tall beside it, proudly showing off their latest growth spurt. If you visit Disney World or any other place every year, take a photo of your children next to an icon like the ant. It’s so much fun to put the photos in order and marvel at the changes each year brought. 

Our children remember trips based on milestones they reached, such as last spring when our very petite 10-year old daughter was finally tall enough to ride “Rock 'n' Roller Coaster” at Disney-MGM Studios. Her memories of that ride center around the bragging she did when she returned to school. We’ll always remember that moment after she was strapped in, when she politely asked if she could change her mind. It was too late then, just as it was too late when my son did the very same thing his first time on “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” at the Magic Kingdom. He absolutely hated that ride and refused to get on another roller coaster until he was 15. He’s a speed demon now, which worries us, since this year will be his first to share the driving duties to Walt Disney World.

Those happy memories became bittersweet when my mom passed away two years ago. We decided on a Christmas trip to Disney World because we just couldn’t face a holiday at home without her. The flaw in our plan was that my mother had gone on many of our vacations with us, and there were so many memories of her right there at Walt Disney World. We saw an armadillo at the Wilderness Lodge and laughed about the time she tried to pet one at the Caribbean Beach resort. When we rode the “Dinosaur” ride Animal Kingdom, we reminisced about the time we talked her into getting on it, telling her it was “tame”. We went to Disney World that Christmas to forget, but it was the moments spent remembering her laughter and the fun we had together that made the trip so special.  Thoughts of her dancing with Goofy and riding Splash Mountain lifted our spirits and helped us realize that even though she’s gone, our memories will last forever.

Visiting Walt Disney World or any place every year makes that place a part of your family history. There are little private moments we share as a family, and all it takes is for one of us to say the words, “Except for that hundred foot drop,” to make the rest of us start laughing uncontrollably. When you go on vacation remember those moments, write them down, and bring them out to share at Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the special days of your life. They become tradition for your children, and with luck, your children will carry on that tradition with their own children. If our lives can be compared to a patchwork quilt, then our family trips to Disney World would be the special shiny fabric in that quilt. We wouldn’t have it any other way, and so we’ll pack up once again and head south for Spring Break. We’ll be the family taking photos in front of the giant ant.  See you there. 

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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss planning your Disney vacation.